pilots
by scarlet tribe
Summary: Sherlock and John are pulled onto a case. How exactly does one fall out of the sky without a plane? this is what they have to solve. At the air base, the two are introduced to an amazing pilot with her own skeletons in the closet that will stay in the closet. Sort of. This confident pilot is about to have her world torn apart and she will fight. First chapter written on a kindle.
1. Chapter 1

Pilots: Mycroft Holmes was inspecting a top secret air base and their newest product tion of fighter jets. While visiting, an odd murder occurs. Or was it an accident? Most likely murder. People don't just drop out of thin air.

Mycroft Holmes was being lead through an impressive hangar that was filled with the newest line of fighter jets for the queens air force. He was there to witness the test flights and oversee the entire occurrence. He did not mind it. It was a simple task and was more celebratory than anything.

As he walked through the hangar, the pilots were lining up next to their craft for inspection. A short woman was shouting orders to them. Even though she was not a military pilot herself at the moment, her position still held higher rank than most in the room. This woman helped create the basic design for the air crafts. She was also an old friend of Mr Holmes.

When the two first met, the woman was one of the newer pilots she was now ordering around. Mycroft noticed her skill at flight that day. She was introduced to him as the best rookie pilot and strategist. She rivaled most of the senior pilots. Mycroft began enlisting her for foreign dealings. Quite a few times, she flew him and any sensitive cargo in and out of the country. Quite a few times she had been forced to take down enemy planes. With her at the head of the plane, the entire event went smoothly and Mycroft has been on trips that have been...rough.

Each time they met, she had moved up in rank. Well, each time they met formally. The trips were not considered a formal meeting. She was a lively woman with wit. She was pleasant and bright but Mycroft had seen her go from jovial to deadly serious in seconds.

Eventually, Mycroft offered her to work for him as a security agent. She worked under him directly and earned his trust. She trusted him as well. If something went wrong, or there was a difficult or sensitive issue, she would be sent to handle it. And she would in record time.

If something went wrong or plans changed, she adapted.

One day she approached him and asked for a year of no work. It was the first time she had ever asked for anything akin to a day off. Since she had worked so well for him over the last few years, he decided to give her the year. After she explained what it was needed for.

She had noticed on her previous trips things to improve on the planes and jets. It got to the point where she could construct the basic layout. Mycroft was impressed and backed her when she proposed it to the air force.

And there they were today. Mycroft had to admit, the woman he was there to see captured his interest and then his heart. Not romantically obviously. But he felt a sense of pride watching her give orders.

A small smile graced his face as she turned and walked over to her boss and, dare she say, friend. She planted herself in front of him with a tired smirk and a salute. He nodded in acknowledgement and she relaxed.

"Mycroft. Good to see you again. Miss our adventures." Mycroft allowed a small chuckle.

"Indeed Ms Keps. I have missed my best body guard. And Anthea misses your antics as well." Keps snorted. Her and Anthea might as well be sisters. They bicker but do actually care for each other.

"And how are those nerves of steel this wonderful day?" Mycroft inquired with a stern look. Her smile fell and she looked to the ground, her once jovial self fell away to reveal an expression of loss and guilt.

She sighed and held Mycroft's gaze. "As strong as ever." Mycroft nodded with a look of understanding. He turned and motioned for her to walk with him. A small smile lit up her face and she wAlked with him.

The two were walking around the hangar and generally catching up. Keps was talking to him about the tests that were to be performed that day for the plains when it happened. She heard something falling above them and looked up just in time. She let out a short yell and pushed her boss to the side as a body came hurling down. It hit the ground with a sickening sound and debris from the body splattered onto her. Mycroft was spared the lucky bastard.

An hour later, Mycroft decided it was time to give Lestrade a call. Hopefully his brother would be interested enough to take the case. Mycroft had no explanation and found himself at a loss.

"Detective Inspector Lestrade. This is Mycroft Holmes. I believe I require the assistance of you and my dear brother. Anthea shall be picking you and my brother up momentarily. I shall see you soon." Without another word he hung up. Keps noticed the stiffness of the man and snorted.

"Had a tiff with your boyfriend?" She teased lightly. My rift responded straight faced as if it was a normal question and didn't even bother to look up from the text he was currently work in g at.

"Don't be daft, if I had used a less formal tone and his staff over heard, we would be the talk to the Yard." Keps looked at her boss with her mouth hanging open. "Close your mouth." He instructed.

"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!"

"No." Sherlock stated in a finalized tone. Greg quirked his eyebrow. "No? What do you mean no?"

"Please stop being so stupid, Lestrade."

"Sherlock, you don't even know what the case is about. Give it a listen, it might be worth it." John pleaded with his friend. Anything to get him out of the house for a bit. If John was lucky, he might even have a quiet few evenings to himself.

Seeming to know what John was thinking, Sherlock crushed his hopes. "John, if I were to take this case, you would be dragged along as well. And seeing as you do enjoy your tedious job, it would be best if I don't take the case and avoid forcing the both of us to travel."

"Who said anything about traveling?" John asked.

"Anthea is here. We are to meet up with Mycroft at a location that is too far for him to make the trip here to ask us himself." John groaned in frustration.

"Look it's on an airbase and today they were going to test out their new fighter jets to make sure they worked properly and one of the pilots fell out of the sky. It was an hour before the event and not a plane was seen or heard. How does that happen, Sherlock?" Greg pressed. Sherlock pondered for a few moments.

"Off the roof?"

"Security footage shows no one was up there." Greg countered.

"Any trees near by? No. Sky dive excursion gone wrong?" Sherlock was struggling for an answer. His curiosity was getting the better of him. He sighed. There was no way to create any solid theories without seeing the actual crime scene.

" there wasn't a single plane in the sky. No one would, you can't fly over a base." John filled in. He never spent much time on an air base but he New enough. Sherlock eyed his friend before giving in to the temptation. "I will take the case. We shall leave immediately. John, come." Sherlock stood and breezed past Lestrade and out the door, grabbing his coat and throwing it on. John stood and grabbed his coat as well.

"This will be interesting." John said to Lestrade. The detective inspector nodded.

"Yeah. Shit timing too. This new line of jets is supposed to be pretty advanced. First official flights for testing was supposed to take place an hour after the person plummeted out of the sky." John raised his eyebrow as he zipped up his coat. Sure new high tech planes would be good but not something Greg would normally care about.

"I take it you're more worried about Mycroft than the actual planes. " John said with a small smile as the two walked from living room. Greg sighed and held a small smile on his face. "Yeah. Just glad to be able to be there now. Puts me a bit at ease." John chuckled and the two walked outside to see Sherlock waiting impatiently.

The three had reached the base early the next morning. They were all a bit stiff and in foul moods. Sherlock and John had deep scowls form on their faces when they were met at a gate by a chipper and well rested Mycroft.

"So glad you could make it brother." Mycroft smirked at his little brother's state. Sherlock glared. "So where is the body." He asked immediately. The older Holmes chuckled.

"All in good time. But first there is someone you need to meet. I believe she will be able to assist you in gathering initial data."

Sherlock rolled his eyes, doubting the usefulness of the woman and was about to voice his opinion when John cut him off. "Alright Mycroft where is she?"

"Follow me."

The three were led by Mycroft into a flight control room. The front of the room had a large glass windows that showed the runway for the jet a small distance off. People were running around and working furiously at their computers. One jet at the end of the runway was turning around and prepping for flight. The four men stood at a console that was on a platform that over looked the other workers. John and Sherlock stood at the railing while Lestrade stood a bit behind them. Mycroft was speaking with a man in charge.

A large screen on the side of the room showed white noise and people were working quickly to make a video connection to whoever they needed to get a hold of.

"Pilot one, this is command center requesting visual." The man at the console who Mycroft was speaking with said into a headset he was holding. A voice came on over a loud speaker. It was a woman's voice, light confident.

"This is pilot one, beginning video feed." The screen on the side of the room switched to reveal a young woman sitting in a cockpit of a jet. Her brown hair was French braided and she wore aviator sunglasses. Her clothes were form fitting yet loose enough and were black. Her gloved hands were adjusting the wide camera. John recognized her immediately. Mycroft turned and smirked at the doctor. She had flown John to a few places. He had even treated her at one point. He hadn't seen or heard from her in years.

"Command, this is pilot one I have a clear visual." They watched her smile. She began fiddling with switches and gears in the jet.

"Pilot one we read you loud and clear. Almost ready for first take off?" The man went from formal to a lighter tone. The woman smirked. "You can bet your ass. Is everyone there almost ready?" The man nodded.

"Yeah. Just a few more things, mostly formalities like paper work. Making sure that if you crash it is actually your fault." The woman snorted at the man's statement.

"Please. Have some faith. Is Mycroft back yet? I know that man would not want to miss this. He did financially support a decent chunk of this." At this, Sherlock and John spun to see Mycroft pic up a headset and turn to a camera.

"Yes. I am here. My brother and his friend is present, they will be viewing the initial flight." The woman nodded and smiled.

"Well, I'm stuck here for a bit, introduce us while command gets finished prepping." She insisted. Mycroft waved to his brother and John to come to the camera. John did but Sherlock stood still he was in no mood to go through something as tedious as introductions. John rolled his eyes and dragged his best friend over to the camera. The woman lifted her sunglasses and smiled brightly.

"Oh my god! Doctor John Watson! How the bloody shell have you been, man?" She said excitedly. "Didn't expect to see you here. How did you get stuck with his lot?" John chuckled and Mycroft handed him a headset. Sherlock was a bit surprised they were acquainted but refrained from speaking.

"Its a bit of a long story. We can catch up later." John suggested. She smiled and nodded.

"Hey, Gordon." She said and the man in charge stepped up to the camera. "You know this means I have to show off right?" Gordon paled slightly and shook his head.

"Don't. Please, for the sanity of those in this building."

"Oh what fun is that? An old army buddy of mine is here for the first launch of the New Excelsior Jets it is practically mandatory I show off." Mycroft stepped up this time.

"Pilot Keps, I ask that you please do not break these new jets." She rolled her eyes and put her sunglasses on properly. "No faith, you people. And I presume that tall brooding man is Sherlock? Mycroft you liar he isn't nearly as stupid looking as you described. He actually appears intelligent. Nice to meet you mister Holmes. Day Keps at your can speak about the case after this flight. Gordon is your team ready yet?"

"Control center is almost ready. Pilot one please begin to check your systems and head to runway two." The man dubbed Gordon stated

She nodded and smiled. "Roger that, ending visual." The screen went blank and Gordon switched off the audio. Sherlock turned to John.

"I assume you met her during your time with the military." John nodded and began to tell of the few times they met. Sherlock absorbed everything he could about her. He couldn't make a sound deduction yet. He would have to meet here face to face.

As the jet moved towards the assigned runway Gordon flicked on the audio and spoke into the headset. "Pilot one, this is command. We are ready for take off."

"This is pilot one, reading you loud and clear. Controls running well, nothing out of the ordinary, igniting initial flight engines." They watched as the jet outside roared loudly.

"Pilot one, we are waiting for your PPO readings." A woman next to Gordon spoke into her headset.

"Got you, command, hooking up now. Any luck?" Pilot Keps asked. On the corner of the screen a display showed her oxygen levels and pulse. They let her know.

The buzzing energy of the room had put John in a better mood. He could feel his own excitement at the upcoming launch. As much as Sherlock tried not to, he too was looking forward to the launch.

"Alright boys and girls place your bets. How many of you think I'm going to crash this sucker?" John heard a few laughs around the room and Gordon shook his head. The woman from a few moments ago stood and walked to the hand rails where Sherlock and John had previously stood.

"Alright people you know where the money goes." John watched amused as people placed their bets and Gordon sighed.

"Truly Gordon, as excellent as this base is, one would assume they would be more professional." Mycroft smirked in amusement.

John actually barked out a laugh as Seven Nation Army began to play over the speakers. "Pilot one! Do not play music over the comms!" Gordon yelled into the headset. The music stopped and keps's voice came back over.

"No need to shout. Command this is pilot one prepped and ready for take off. Requesting permission to begin launch." Everyone tense in anticipation. John Sherlock and Lestrade stood at the railing, watching the jet.

"Pilot one you are cleared for launch."

"Beginning launch countdown." The loud engines of the jet became louder and they could see launch workers running from the runway.

"T minus 5. . Mark." The jet took off down the runway at an incredible speed. In almost no time at all it took to the air and was out of sight. A screen on the other end of the room turned one. Somewhere several camera's had a good visual on the jet. John saw her pulse spike a bit. He wondered what it must be like.

"Control this is pilot one. Launch is a success, controls are normal, reaching desired altitude now." The room burst into cheers. John and Lestrade grinned and Mycroft shook hands with Gordon. Sherlock had a neutral look on his face.

"So Gordon, what name are we giving this one?" The Keps asked over the speaker. Everyone's mood sobered and even Mycroft appeared apprehensive. This did not escape Sherlock or John.

"Keps are you really worried about this now?" Gordon asked.

"Of course. I need to know the name of the gorgeous jet I am flying." Gordon sighed and looked at Mycroft who shrugged at the silent question.

"We all thought we should name it the Clara."

The room was met with silence. There was a long pause waiting for a response.

"Pilot one, do you copy?" Gordon asked slowly.

"This is pilot one. I copy." There was a pause. "I think she would like it. Having one of our best planes named from one of our best pilots... fitting." They could hear her tone shift. It was distant and almost cold.

"Who is Clara? Obviously she must hold some significance if her name could make you uncomfortable." Sherlock asked off handedly to Mycroft. He eyed his brother and could see the discomfort on his face, making Sherlock narrow his eyes. His brother didn't care about people. Mycroft took off his headset and walked over to the three by the rail.

"Clara North was a rookie pilot under Keps. Clara North was also one of the best. About six months ago, Keps was testing the speed and control of one of the original modules of the jets. To test it, they needed a regular jet. Keps flew the newer module, north had the original. From what reports I have read, a malfunction with Clara North's jet brought it down over the English Channel. Lost at sea. No one really knows what happened, the flight recorder was lost with the pilot." John and Sherlock absorbed the information. It was sad but it was more intriguing. How could no one know what happened?

"The event traumatized Keps. The two had grown close, surprisingly. Keps rarely lets anyone in that close." Mycroft said knowingly. The man eyed his brother. "Imagine if you lost Dr. Watson here. What it would do to you has happened to Keps. Yet she never stopped the program. Impressive really, but worrying. Many believe the pressure of the program and the trauma of losing north is going to break her." Sherlock eyed his brother. Mycroft seemed to have some level of caring for the pilot, platonic of course, but caring none the less. He narrowed his eyes before inquiring.

"And what do you think?" Mycroft smirked at his brother.

"She hasn't broken yet, dear brother. And trust me when I say she has been through... more challenging situations." He smiled and turned to leave. "Do give her my regards." He called over his shoulder and left the building. John and Sherlock shared a look. It was going to be an odd case. But they specialize in the peculiar.

Keps looked around her. The sky was uncharacteristically clear and the flight monitor showed no turbulence. She had been flying for about an hour but she still did not want to land. They had performed all the tests needed and the jet was deemed successful.

"Flight control, this is pilot one. Test show the air craft functioning at 100%." Keps said into her radio. She kept the video off.

"Pilot one, this is control. Bring her home. Your landing targets is strip one. Drinks on me tonight." Keps smiled.

"So has our guests figured out what happened?" She asked. She had not really kept up with what was happening back at the base.

She got no response. Keps furrowed her eyebrows and tried again.

"Hello?" Nothing.

"Control this is pilot one, in have lost audio. Attempting visual."

She got nothing on audio or visual.

"Command center this is pilot one do you copy!" She yelled. Something was wrong. She turned the jet around. She looked on radar and other scanners to see if anything could be causing interference. There was nothing. She began an emergency diagnostic on the jet. She didn't notice the panic rising in her. Her heart rate accelerated and she was taking shallow breathes. The diagnostic showed nothing. She cursed and hit the dashboard with her fist.

The entire dashboard shut off. She was flying blind save for a few older instruments that did not run on electricity.

"Shit, fuck! Control center this is pilot one, I am flying blind, I repeat I am flying blind do you copy!" She all but screamed into the radio.

"Pilot one, this is command. We lost audio. Attempting visual now. We have you. What happened up there?" Gordon asked.

"I don't know. I lost audio, ran a diagnostic and nothing showed up. I hit the dash and everything on it shut off. Can you get it back on your end?" She watched as Gordon went to work ordering everyone around.

John stepped into view and picked up one of the misc.

"Keps, you ok? Your boss asked me to talk to you, keep you busy." Keps rolled her eyes.

"When pilots fly blind, or any issue rises, it is a common occurrence for them to panic, we usually have someone familiar talk to them and keep them calm." She felt something fall out of her eye. Sheffield it away. She was crying? She wiped again. This time there was blood. Her heart dropped, something was being injected into her system. She stared at her hand.

"J-John?" Her voice was shaking. John swore and turned to call to someone.

"Pilot Keps, watch your heart beat!" Yelled one of the women into a Mic. "Pilot Keps, you need to calm down. Something is in your blood stream that will cause you to panic. Breathe Keps we are going to get you out of their." Keps nodded and tried to control her breathing.

Sherlock practically shoved John out of the way and grabbed the Mic.

"Take out the iv in your arm! Someone programmed it to slowly release a toxin to create a panics you would end up crashing then jet after your heart gives out. Take out the iv." Keps looked at her wrist were the iv was hooked into her. She yanked it out and focused back on breathing. She needed to calm down. How could she calm down?

Lis Mycroft still on the base?" She asked Anand John shook his head. She exhaled slowly. No matter, she could do this on her own.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the systems came back to life. She could see people celebrating and John smiled at cheer. She felt her stomach drop when one of the alerts sounded and something struck her jet, jolting her forward harshly. She looked to her left and saw a drone right next to her jet. Her eyes shot open wide and she turned to see another one. Sherlock was about to ask what she could possibly be looking at but she interrupted him.

"Command, pilot one request you disengage all drones! I repeat disengage all drones!"

John cod see the panicked innovations faces. "Keps, no drones have left the base."

"Are you fucking sure, Gordon? These look like the exact same ones undersigned! Get them down now!" She yelled into the Mic. John and Sherlock stood aside, this was not something they knew how to handle. They saw Keps get jostled again.

"Gordon get them offline! None of weapons are working! Shit, Shit I just lost one of the engi-" static took over the video. Audio was fuzzy for a minute.

Panic rose in the room. "GET HER BACK ONLINE! Pilot one this is command do you copy!"

"Copy. I'm not far out, drones are leaving. Instinct make it to the assigned runway initiating emergency landing. Is there any landing strip?"

"We'll make one. Focus on landing."

They could see the jet, smoking and wobbling. They could seen the drones too. They were falling behind. The jet was very close to the ground but the London-based had not opened.

"I can't get the wheels to open. It's going to be a crash landing. Impact in 3-2-1-" they lost audio and watched as the jet skidded across a runway before flipping several times before coming to a complete stop.

No moved.

No one breathed.

They watched it burn.

Beep.

Beep.

"Sir, I still have a pulse, Keps is alive." One man said and Gordon rushed over to the misc.

"Get me audio. Lestrade get Mycroft on the phone, he is going to have to see this. Marcus, get medical out there."

The screen buzzed to life. The jet was upside down. Keps was hanging in her seat out cold. They tried to get her audio to work but no luck.

She twitched her head and hand. She groaned and her eyes opened partially. She taught with the buckle. It released her and she landed on her face.

"Keps, what are you doing?" Gordon mumbled. She crawled out of the cockpit, the window was gone. She was very glad she designed the this exact reason. Good thing it worked too.

Everyone in control center was her small figure in the distance. She was standing in the middle of the runway. She began to limp until she heard buzzing. Keps eyes shot wide open and she spun around to see the drones flying. Low and straight at her.

Keps turned on her heal and ran as fast ash she could narrowly missing bullets.

When they were right on top of her she fell one spread out, covering her head until they passed. She lifted her head and let out a breath before hauling herself up and running again.

She could hear people shouting and saw medics running towards her. The drones turned around.

"TURN AROUND! GO BACK!" She screamed and waved her arms. They saw the drones and ducked some tried to run to her left but one of the many bullets hit her thigh and she fell, screaming.

Then the oddest thing happened.

The drones shut off and crashed into the jet, setting off a huge explosion.

The blast threw Keps and she skidded on the asphalt.

Everything was hazy, blurry.

She could faintly hear people running and calling to her.

John reached her right as she passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a lot of white and yelling and noise.

"_Keps, if you can hear me, you are alright. We are getting you to the emergency room right now to dig the bullet from your leg. Just breathe, you are ok." John's voice flitted in her ears. What had happened? She tried to think about it._

_The earth was spinning around her, lots of fire, glass exploded at her. She must have moved her arms because someone was pinning her down. "Don't move. Don't struggle." Mycroft's bother instructed her._

"_Sherlock make sure she doesn't move much. Mind her wrists." John's voice flitted over her ears again._

_She was being moved. She groaned and shifted. Her leg felt like it was on fire._

"_How is she still moving?" someone muttered. People started yelling in her ear.  
_

_Yelling__, jet engines, explosions. The drones were firing at her. She crashed. Fire._

_The English Channel was under her. "Pilot Two, this is command, status on engines."_

"_This is Pilot Two, engines failing. Controls are dark."_

"_North, what is going on?"_

"_I don't know, nothing is working!"_

"_Clara, clara breathe, Pull up! Pull up Clara!"_

"_I can't, Day Im dropping!"_

"_Pull up! Pull up damit!"_

_The jet was spinning down._

"CLARA!" Keps screamed and sat up, her hand was at her chest, trying to regain breath. She doubled over, sore. She was faintly aware of the nurse entering her room. She placed a hand on Keps' back. She threw back the sheet and stood, shakily. She gently pushed away the nurse and stumbled out of the room. She looked down both hallways.

"You seem to care an awful lot for this woman. Tell me, Mycroft when did you get so soft?" Sherlock accused his brother, who was filling out forms for the hospital they were in. John sat on the seets in the waiting area behind the two brothers.

"I am not soft-"

"Oh please, perhaps you have eaten too much cake." Sherlock interrupted. Mycroft sighed.

"She is an excellent employee. AN even better pilot and asset. It would be unfortunate to loose such a valuble piece." That was as close as Mycroft would ever get to admitting his care for the younger woman. He had begun to see her as a friend and eventually came to treat her as a younger sibling. As best as he could. She hated being babied.

However, Sherlock smirked knowingly. The three men turned to an entrance to one of the hallways, hearing quite a commotion.

"Oh dear." Mycroft mumbled. Two seconds later Keps was running out of the hallway, yelling to be left alone and insisting she was fine. sHe ran down the next hallway. The three men watched the two nurses and doctor run after her. this must have been a common occurrence because no one else seemed to react to it.

"How is she running on that leg?" John asked, standing.

"GET FUCKED, GORDON!" they heard her yelling down the hallway.

"I believe she has nerve damage in her legs, and is therefore unable to feel below her hips. Am I correct?" Sherlock asked, facing his brother.

"Partially."

"Partially?"

"Yes. True she does have nerve damage, caused by severe accident. She was burnt so badly, we were positive she would never be able to feel again. However, some of her nerves had regain feeling. However, they will only register a small amount. If you were to place your hand on her leg she would feel it. However, shoot her in the leg; she feels nothing but a dull throb. If anything she only registers the fact that it is sore. It only works for tissue and muscle. The nerves in her bones are fully functional." Mycroft explained. John was impressed and a bit shocked that he was still working hard at what she does. It did explain the scars on her legs. They started just a few inches below her knees and spread to her stomach.

"Hm." Sherlock hummed. HE wondered if she would be willing to submit to a few experiments.

"I am sure she would say yes. She is quite open about it. Though, I must say I do not approve." Mycroft answered his silent question.

"Then I shall definitely require her services." Sherlock stated and Mycroft rolled his eyes.

"PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW YOU WANKER!" came a disgruntled scream. "I AM FINE LET ME GO!"

Gordon cam out of the hallway, carrying the small woman over his shoulder. He shifted her and she groaned in discomfort. HE set her down in front of Mycroft.

"If you would actually be quiet for a minute, you would have been told that you were to be released once you woke up. Thank your boss." Gordon scolded her like a child.

"I'm not some child. Where are my things." She snapped at him. HE sighed and a nurse at the station handed the poor man a bag. She snatched it and marched off to the bathroom.

"She's pleasant." John muttered. He remembered her being a bit more friendly.

"She's in a hospital. She hates it here. Once she gets outside, she will be fine." Gordon informed them. "If you'll excuse me, I have some damage control to take care of." He nodded at Mycroft and left.

"I take it you are taking the case." Mycroft asked his brother. "I do appreciate this."

"Please, sentiment does not suit you, Mycroft." Mycroft smirked wryly at his brother. It was very easy to get attached to Keps. Perhaps she will make another friend for Sherlock.

"So, what exactly is the plan then?" John said, hoping to keep them from bickering.

"I suppose when will need to see the body first, then the crime scene." Sherlock stated. "Mycroft, I will need access to the security footage as well."

"I assure you, you will have access to everything." Keps came out of the bathroom and march to the men. She stuck out her hand to the detective, having already met john. Sherlock eyed her up and down before taking her hand. She had a firm grip.

"_Confident in strength and intellect. Not shy about her body sows confidence as well or apathy. Hair pulled into a ponytail for practicality not vanity. No trace of makeup. Practical woman, not easy belittled. Scars on arms show she has been injured often on the job, most are burns. A few small ciagerete burns. Abuse?"_ Sherlock deduced out loud. John groaned.

"Sherlock, I don't think-" John started but Keps interrupted him.

"No, no. Keep going. I want to hear all of it." She had a playful yet aggressive smile.

"_slight limp form recently acquired bullet wound. Black undershirt worn often. Cargo pants worn often for freedom to move while you work. You often work with the engines. Grease stains and singes on you trousers. No shoes. Gordon forgot." HE twisted her arm slightly._

"_Bruising from the crash. Scars of shoulder blade most likely caused by glass. You have been throw through a window. When you were younger and again while working for my brother. You were abused by your father. He was a drunk. Scratches on your watch which was given to you by your father has indications of an unsteady hand. No ring indicates no lasting relationships. No time and you hold positions where you cannot afford to get attached or tied down. Commitment phobe as well. Mother was absent in your childhood. Left your father. Posture shows you are confident and ready to fight if nessesary."_ HE finsihsed. She watched him observe her. His eyes scanned over her analytically. When he twisted her arm a bit more she resisted automatically and made a fist, ready to pull back and punch. He smirked.

John waited for her to punch his friend but she smirked this time.

"Very good. Did you also see the evidence of torture? You surely have seen the scars on my legs. I have a tattoo on my back as well. Anything else you need to know?" She asked playfuly. He stepped back and let go of her.

"Do you know the victim?" He asked. Mycroft sighed. HE was going to leave.

"Keps, I must leave. I assume you will be alright with my brother." She turned and nodded with a small smile. "Take care. Say hello to Greg." Mycroft nodded and left.

"Yes. I did. He was a tech temporarily assigned to help with the drone design. One of the best too." She shifted, clearly uneasy in the hospital. Sherlock watched as she glanced around and saw her eyes soften in sadness. Recent loss most likely Clara North.

"John, we have a body to see." Sherlock stated and walked off, leavening John behind. John sighed and stuck out his hand. She shook it and offered a smile.

"Good to see you again, doctor."

"John. Just John. It's good to see you too. Take care of yourself. We will probably be around for a bit." Keps laughed and nodded.

"I feel safer already."

"T." Sherlock muttered as he looked through his magnifying glass. John didn't look up, not fasted by what he thought he heard.

"No thank you. Had some earlier." Sherlock sighed, exasperated.

"Not the beverage, the letter."

"What about it?"

"Ms. Keps's first name begins with it." John furrowed his eyebrows and looked at his friend. "I thought her name was Day."

Sherlock shook his head as he turned his attention to the corpses hand. "Her initials on her tags are T.D.K. Day is her middle name." John looked confused. Why wouldn't she use her first name?

Sherlock snapped his magnifying class closed and straightened.

"So Gordon, what happened?" Keps asked as she marched into the control room. Gordon straightened and turned to her with tired eyes. She had been gone most of the afternoon in the hospital and it was getting dark.

"The tech that fell screwed with the jets systems. Sent in a virus that shut everything down."

"Thats not possible. He was dead before-"

"He was dead before you flew but he was smart. He installed the virus and put it on some sort of timer that would activate it." SHerlock explained striding in, John in tow.

"But why would he do that? Was he working for someone?" Keps asked. She had not really trusted the tech but was still surprised to learn he was behind the attack on her plane.

"Was he attacking me or the plane?" She asked. SHerlock eyed her.

"You ask very good questions. Perhaps you are not as dull." He said and marched right into her face, trying to see something. She seemed so ordinary. Too ordinary for his comforts. HE narrowed his eyes.

"What is your name?" He asked urgently. John sputtered. "SHerlock! If she chose to with hold her name that is her choice! Don't go snooping-"

Day cut him off.

"I assure you it is quite alright Dr. Watson. Mr. Holmes, I do believe my name is my business. If I wanted you to know my name I would have told you it." SHe straightened her back, shoulders tense and her face turned to stone. She was cold as ice and Sherlock saw the switch. She was being defensive. Why? His eyes narrowed at the shorter woman. They exchanged challenging glares until Gordon stepped in with a sigh.

"Keps. Back off please refocus." He pinched the bridge of his nose. He found himself severely needing a drink. She sighed and nodded. SHerlock smirked, thinking he got away with the disruption.

"You too, SHerlock. You have a job to do." Sherlock's smirk turned into a scowl. Keps saw and smiled. "So, back to the case." SHe had begun to thaw but still stood rigid and stiff.

"In answer to your questions, I believe he was hired by a foreign government or terrorist group. I believe you were the target. If he wanted to dismantle the planes, he would have destroyed them and their blueprints. If I were you I would stay out of the sky for a while." He began picking up papers from teh desk, taking in every detail of the plans and data.

A hand stopped his snooping by smacking onto the pile he was leafing through. Sherlock almost started. He raised his gaze to meet Keps but said nothing. THe message was clear.

"Can you find out who?" GOrdon asked SHerlock. Without breaking the staring contest he answered. "I am not as familiar with tracing the origions of viruses but I beleive some of your employees may be able to assist. Preferably people with high clearance." Keps still glared at him.

"Keps will assist you. She can get you those people. Keps, I need you to go through the jets with a few others, make sure they are still flyable. We have to redo the basic systems checks before we get them on the runway again." GOrdon told her. She nodded. "It will be finished by tomorrow." Sherlock straightened and backed up a step.

"Keps, do not overwork anyone." Gordon said with a leveling gaze. sHe waved her hand at him and began to walk to the exit. "ANd you are helping with the paper work this time." SHe rolled her eyes.

"COme on, boys. Let's go get that help. Shall we?" SHe held the door open for the two men.

It had been three days and the military was working around the clock. People were tired and it was a Friday. They needed a break. Sherlock was at his wits end with the "incompetent, useless fumbling fools" who were assigned to help track the virus origin. While they were busy with computers, Sherlock and John were busy looking into the connections of any relationships (platonic or sexual) of the dead tech. Gordon was at the end of his rope. With those two runnign around, the paper work and government issues with involved politics, trying to keep it running and Keps running herself more ragged than him, Gordon decided to give people a break. Everyone at the base were going to have the evening and Saturday on leave.

Keps had spent the past few nights pulling long shifts in the hangars, often alone if it was late. SHe was running purely on any energy drink she could get her hands on this point. Had she even slept?

Someone had wrecked the circut boards on a large number of jets. Keps had kept busy with that until one of the engines exploded on the runway. THe base was a wreck. Mycroft had visited to help with the politics and paperwork. Greg had come to assist with the investigations (even though he has been very useful, SHerlock refuses to admit he has been a help with overseeing the people with the computers). Mycroft had returned home to London but left Lestrade behind.

It was nearly three when Sherlock and John hunted down Keps in one of the hangars. They stood in front of a jet and looked as Keps was fooling with control panel in the cockpit. She was outside and leaning in. Actually, her torso was hidden in the cockpit while her legs hung out. John and SHerlock exchanged looks.

There was a loud thump and she swore loudly and kicked the jet.

"Day?" John called up to her. SHe wiggled out of the cockpit and looked at the two interrupting her work. She was covered in dark grease stains, scorch marks and soot? SHe shoved the goggles on top of her head and tossed off her thick gloves. Keps pumped onto the wing and onto the ground.

"hey, you two. Haven't seen you in a while. Anything new with the case?" She asked as she wiped her hands on a rag that hung from her belt.

"Because of the uselessness of the people you had assigned to us we have gotten no where on that end. Honestly, they are your best?" Sherlock began ragging on her people and she did not take to kindly to the criticism.

"I have this sudden urge to break your nose." She said almost quietly. John chuckled. "I know the feeling." Sherlock huffed.

"Of course we do actually have a few leads. We have to ask some of your pilots a few questions. Where can we find them?" Sherlock quickly brought them back to the case.

"Honestly, they are probably on leave. Gordon is forcing everyone on this project to go on leave. I sent most of the pilots out about an hour ago. Some went to visit near family. THey will be back on Sunday." Keps filled them in. Sherlock sighed, exasperated.

"Honestly, how do you expect us to find the culprit if you send everyone off base?!"

"How are you so sure one of _my_ pilots re involved?!" Keps defended.

"How are you sure they aren't?" Sherlock countered. John watched as anger flooded into the petite woman. Keps' face was starting to turn red and John watched, waiting for her arm to strike out at Sherlock. Keps held her breathe and counted to five before exhailing with a sigh.

"Ok. Look, they will be back Sunday. Who ever doesn't show, I will retrieve personally. Anything else I can help you with?" SHe asked and crossed her arms.

"Actually," John cut in, stopping Sherlock from responding "we have some questions for you as well. We were wondering if you could give us a bit of backround on some of the people we need to ask." John watched her while Sherlock continued his small pouting session. Keps eyed him but nodded.

"Yeah sure. I have to finish up this circuit board and then I am going to this pub with a few friends afterwards. I can fill you in tomorrow."Sherlock was not happy with the answer.

"And why not tell us now?" He questioned and eyed her. He could deduce nothing else than what was previously deduced. There _was_ nothing to deduce. SHe was tired and over worked. Perhaps that was her reason.

"Because I am exhausted and want nothing more than to finish up here and go get trashed at a pub." She snapped and turned back to her jet. She pulled herself up on the wing and back up to the cockpit. She was done with them for today.

Exasperated, Sherlock huffed and sped out of the hanger. John trailed behind, wary of his friend's temper. He was waiting for Sherlock to explode and once they were outside that is exactly what he did.

"I cannot _beleive _her! The very nerve! How exactly does she expect me to solve this if even _she_ won't cooperate?! All we asked was for a few minutes of her time John! A few minutes!" He was waving his arms and welling and turned to face John.

"And they sent everyone away! Although that may prove to be a blessing but we need to ask those pilots!" Sherlock continued to shout and complain and flail as John looked on, slightly impressed. Keps had been able to piss of his friend in just a few sentences. Not only did she get under his skin, she managed to get him this twerked up. Only a few people are able to do that. John smirked. He knew Sherlock's frustration stemmed from the time wasted already and the troubles they had already been faced with but this was pure gold in John's mind.

Sherlock and John sat in Gordon's office, Sherlock was looking at a diagram of all people who spoke regularly with the dead tech. The diagram looked like a spiderweb that branched out. It was a dead end. Sherlock dug up as many as he coudl and as far out as he could. Nothing stuck. He ruffled his hair in frustration. He needed a cigarette. He needed to think. Sherlock could not stop thinking about how she blew him off and refused to speak with him. This was her base shouldn't she put in more effort to finding the culprit?

Any normal person would act on their emotions and be even more impatient than Sherlock. They should want to do anythign they can to find the perosn responsible.

But T. Day Keps was not.

Sherlock was struck with a thought.

"Oh, this is interesting." He muttered. John looked up from the desk. "Hm? did you say something?"

Sherlock grabbed his coat and made for the door. "Come John. We need to go to a pub."

John and Sherlock stood in Gordon's room. He was staying in his quarters on the base. He poured some fine whiskey into a glass for himself. John and SHerlock had declined his offer.

"How may I help you boys?" He asked as he sat down.

"Where is the pub that Ms. Keps is currently located at?" Sherlock stated quickly. He was not beating around the bush. Not that he ever did in the first place. Gordon shook his head.

"Is that where she went?" He sat down and sighed. "There is one just off the base. It's called the Bloody Moore. There is a really small town, it's only got a hotel, the pub and a few small stores. Just follow the main road out a few miles. You won't miss it."

John smiled and nodded. "Thanks. We will be going now. Sorry to bother you."

"It's no trouble. But it is late so KEps may be. THe pub is a bit rowdy. If she has been there long, she will be drunk."

"That won't be an issue." Sherlock dismissed. Gordon hummed.

"Keps becomes a bit violent when intoxicated. She is an excellent hand-to-hand fighter so if she swings, don't go get in arms reach. And what ever you do, do not let her get behind you." Gordon warned. "I wish you two luck." He raised his glass and drank from it.

Sherlock swiftly left the room, John trailing behind him. The two walked in silence for a small while until John voiced his curiosity.

"Sherlock, what do you think he meant by that?" SHerlock cocked an eyebrow, wishing for him to elaborate.


End file.
